FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Plymouth State University baseball team dominated through two games Monday afternoon, dropping St. Lawrence by 17-6 and 8-7 scores in its first double-header of the season.

The Panthers (4-1) poured on 25 runs and over 30 hits against St. Lawrence, dropping the Saints to 1-4.

Game One

Three Panthers produced three-hit performances as PSU pounded out 18 hits to win game one. Plymouth used just two pitchers through the six-inning game, with junior Dylan Gaita (Melrose, Mass.) getting the start.

Both teams went back-and-forth through the first four innings, when Plymouth started scoring in bunches.

Junior Josh Goulet (Nashua, N.H.) led off the top of the first with a single before advancing to second on a groundout. After a pop out, the Panthers sparked a huge two-out rally. A single to left field off the bat of senior Nate Frederick (Worcester, Mass.) scored Goulet and junior Ryan Boldwin (Manchester, N.H.) doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Frederick scored on a wild pitch and Boldwin touched the plate after an RBI single from senior Mitch Sytulek (Raymond, N.H.). A triple from senior Luke Mancini (Scotia, N.Y.) scored Sytulek, but Mancini was caught trying to advance to end the inning.

The Panthers made it 5-0 in the second inning thanks to a solo bomb from senior Cam Ruziak (Sterling, Mass.).

The Saints put two runs in the scoring column in the bottom of the frame on three hits. Freshman James Cronin (Ithaca, N.Y.) belted a one-out triple before scoring on a groundout to the left side of the infield. After an Alex Black (Ashland, Mass.) single, senior Tyler Guido (Galway, N.Y.) added another run with an RBI triple.

After a scoreless third, the Panthers tacked on two more runs. Sytulek walked and was sacrificed to second. Sytulek later came around to score on a wild pitch before Ruziak picked up his second hit of the game. A stolen base resulted in another run as a Goulet single scored Ruziak from second.

The biggest inning for the Saints came in the bottom of the frame, as four runs came across to score. After loading the bases, an RBI triple from senior Isaac Lewis (Windsor, Ontario) forced a pitching change. Freshman JP Somers (Hookset, N.H.) gave up an RBI single to sophomore Brendon Frank (Gamsevoort, N.Y.) before getting out of the inning.

Another four runs in the fifth inning began to shape the odds in Plymouth's favor. A three-RBI double off the bat of sophomore Jimmy Zimolka (Londonderry, N.H.) and another RBI from Ruziak extended the lead to four runs.

PSU plated another six runs in the final inning. Boldwin brought in two runs on a single to score Frederick and junior Ryan Richard (Berlin, N.H.). With the bases loaded an RBI single from Mancini and a groundout from Zimolka scored two more. Ruziak's sacrifice fly scored Sytulek, and Goulet singled to score Mancini to wrap up the top of the sixth.

The Saints looked to stage a giant comeback in the home half of the sixth. After getting the first two outs, a walk and pinch hit two-run homer by junior Oscar Acevedo (Brooklyn, N.Y.) cut the lead to nine. An error at second base three batters later scored the ninth run, but the game was halted as Somers fanned Guido to end the game.

Goulet, Frederick and Ruziak all finished with three hits apiece while combining for six RBI and six runs scored. Zimolka scored a game-high four runs in the win and the team finished with just one strikeout through six innings. Gaita went 3.2 innings, giving up seven runs on six hits while fanning seven. Somers picked up his first collegiate win, going 2.1 innings and giving up three hits on four runs.

Game Two

The second game proved to be much closer, but PSU took advantage of five Saints' errors to earn the win.

The two teams combined for five runs in the opening frame. Two walks scattered between a pair of groundouts set up junior Evan Reichel (Camillus, N.Y.) with an RBI opportunity for St. Lawrence. He came through with an RBI double to plate the first run of the game.

The Panthers roared back with four runs in the home half. Goulet led off with a walk and advanced to third after an errant pickoff throw by the pitcher. Junior Geoff Kayo (Londonderry, N.H.) singled to score Goulet before being thrown out trying to steal. Richard followed with a single and another bad throw from the pitcher moved him to third. Frederick singled to score Richard and Boldwin followed in step. Sytulek's fly out to center pushed two Panthers into scoring position and Mancini ripped his second triple of the day to score two more.

Another Saints' run in the second cut the lead back to two. Junior Jeremy Gerringer (Marlboro, N.J.) walked and stole second, but two quick strikeouts followed. Junior Taylor Digilio (New Paltz, N.Y.) refused to leave the runner stranded, and singled to score Gerringer.

A sloppy bottom half gave the Panthers another run as two errors made it 5-2. Kayo reached on an error on the left side of the infield, and advanced to third on another pitcher's error. He scored on a wild pitch, but the Panthers went down in order to follow.

Plymouth got another run in the third on a solo homerun by Sytulek, his first of the year.

St. Lawrence went down in order in the top of the fourth to set up another pair of Panther runs. Kayo reached on a walk with one out to set up an RBI triple from Richard and force a pitching change. Frederick doubled to score Richard, but he was left stranded to end the inning after two big strikeouts from senior Beau Yaremko (Riverview, Mich.).

The Saints put together their best inning of the game in the top of the fifth. After a fly out and a double, junior Anthony Butler (Castleton, N.Y.) hit an RBI single. A big triple from Reichel scored Butler, and after a strikeout, Gerringer followed with an RBI single.

St. Lawrence scratched together single runs in the sixth and seventh innings as they attempted a comeback. Another Butler RBI single in the sixth cut it to a two run deficit, and an RBI double by junior Alex Black (Ashland, Mass.) made it a one-run game in the seventh. Black was cut down trying to extend to third, though, which proved to be a big blunder as Guido followed with a triple. Digilio grounded out to first to end the game.

PSU used four pitchers in the game, with junior Cam Cossette (Milford, Mass.) getting the start and going two innings. Sophomore Alex Larson (Brunswick, Maine) also ate up a pair of innings before senior Ryan Perro (Glen Head, N.Y.) picked up the win with 1.2 innings of work. Graduate student Dallas DeFrancesco (Meriden, Conn.) collected his first save of the season in the win.

Freshman Cameron Morrissey (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) took the loss, going 3.1 innings and giving up all eight runs on seven hits to drop him to 0-1.

The Panthers will enjoy a much needed day off Tuesday before facing Denison University (12:00 p.m.) and SUNY Old Westbury (3:00 p.m.) on Wednesday (Mar. 21).